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FALL 2016
PLEASE NOTE: The Fall 2016 issue of
Avenues has been mailed to all alumni with a valid address. If you did not receive a physical copy, please update your mailing address by emailing
[email protected].
Cover art by Rachel Gitlevich BFA '10 (Film)
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John Brickley BFA '15 (Illustration)
Dear Fellow Alumni,
Much like the groundbreaking hit Broadway musical
Hamilton and its richly diverse and talented cast, the University of the Arts' alumni community continues to make its mark by weaving its musical mosaic across all of the artistic disciplines.
As Hamilton continues to make Broadway history, UArts continues to make history of its own. This year, UArts celebrates 140 years of making history with a year-long series of events that honor its impressive past and vision for the future. We will recognize the school's founding in 1876 and the evolution of two century-old institutions: the Philadelphia College of Art (PCA) and the Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts (formerly the Philadelphia Musical Academy). Some of the highlights include a Creative Black Tie Gala on October 16 and the Inauguration of President
David Yager on October 17.
As a member of the Alumni Council, I would like to invite you back to campus at this pivotal moment. As General George Washington sings in
Hamilton, "But remember from here on in, history has its eyes on you!"
I look forward to seeing all of you in the fall, as we continue to make UArts history.
Diane M. DiGiacomo BM '80 (Piano)
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A spotlight on alumni using
their creative passion
in pursuit of alternative careers
Bobbie Tilkens-Fisher MA '03 (Museum Education)
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When
Bobbie Tilkens-Fisher MA '03 (Museum Education) opened her exquisite mid-century modern home in Wallingford, Pa., for a house tour, it wasn't her first time playing tour guide. As a child growing up in her grandparents' home in Wisconsin where her grandfather was a world-renowned taxidermist, Bobbie gave classmates tours of his showroom. Each pursuit undertaken by Bobbie built on the last, from studying art history to museum education to becoming a business owner. Bobbie's company,
At Home Modern, was born that day of the house tour when guests inquired how she could help them revitalize their spaces.
"After receiving my degree, I taught Art History and Museum Studies for 10 years, but the program at UArts also influenced the work I do now," Bobbie says. "My education helped me develop the ability to talk with clients about art and objects and about space and aesthetics."
Recently, Bobbie and husband, Matthew Fisher, founder and principal of Night Kitchen Interactive, have renovated a Victorian property in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia that houses their residence and both businesses. Philadelphia is a special place for Bobbie -- the city's vibrant arts scene was one of the reasons she chose UArts for graduate studies. "We had access to great faculty and a tremendous community of museum professionals and artists," she says.
Bobbie's house in Wallingford was featured in many publications, her business was voted "Best of Delaware County" and her new building is already drawing attention. While she appreciates the praise, what matters most, Bobbie says, is that she "loves the life she has created for herself and the opportunity to keep evolving."
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KNOWING DANCE MORE
What Dance Can Do in the World
Presented by the School of Dance, "Knowing Dance More" is a series of lectures, conversations and informal showings led by important artists and scholars in the international field of dance.
Susan Leigh Foster, acclaimed choreographer and scholar, performed an entire routine in the style of popular television dance competition shows while describing the commodification of dance and sexual stereotyping in the popular media.
Faustin Linyekula, a choreographer and dance activist from the Democratic Republic of Congo and creator of the first contemporary dance company in Kenya, shared ideas about how we can come together inside dance.
John Jasperse, winner of a Doris Duke "Bessie Award" who has collaborated with companies from around the globe, projected a striking image of his younger self behind him as he described creating dance out of his experience as a gay man in a world in which his body didn't seem to fit. These are just a few of the extraordinary presentations from the University's "Knowing Dance More" program.
"It's unusual for dancers at this level to have access to these incredible international choreographers and dance scholars," says program curator
Lauren Bakst, a lecturer at UArts. The program -- required for freshmen and sophomores -- brings four innovative dance leaders to the University annually for presentations about their practice, philosophies and dance citizenship.
"Showing students as many avenues as possible to imagine their futures is the goal of 'Knowing Dance More'," Bakst says.
Knowing Dance More Series
Reggie Wilson
Choreographer, performer, and executive and artistic director of First and Heel Performance Group.
October 12, 11:30 a.m.
Caplan Recital Hall | Terra Hall
211 South Broad Street
More about Reggie Wilson lecture >>
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In the summer of 2016, The List, a novel by Siobhan Vivian BFA '01 (Writing for Film + Television), was ranked No. 2 on The New York Times Book Review's Young Adult E-Book list and her new novel, The Last Boy and Girl in the World, was published.
Mi-Kyoung Lee MFA '96 (Book Arts + Printmaking), Fibers coordinator and associate professor, was named a 2016 Visual Artist Fellow by the Center for Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA) in Philadelphia. Julianna Foster MFA '06 (Book Arts + Printmaking) and Andrea Krupp BFA '94 (Printmaking) were among six CFEVA finalists for the prestigious fellowship.
The World War One Centennial Commission in Washington, D.C. selected master sculptor Sabin Howard BFA '86 (Sculptor) and architect Joe Weishaar as winners of the National World War I Memorial competition. Their winning design, "The Weight of Sacrifice," was chosen from 360 entrants and can be seen in D.C.'s Pershing Park.
PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCES
Abdiel Jacobsen BFA '10 (Modern Dance) was promoted to principal dancer at the Martha Graham Dance Company. Jacobsen also performs as a guest artist with the Cecilia Marta Dance Company and is a professional competitive ballroom and Latin dancer/ instructor.
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INTERSECTIONS
A dialogue between two alumni, one established, one emerging,
whose work is making an impact on the arts around the world.
MONUMENTAL RESULTS
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JIM DESSICINO
BFA '07 (Sculpture)
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Neither artist expected to go to college. One lives on the West Coast and one on the East Coast, but both have strong connections to other places: Scott to "the American West" and the Midwest, and Jim to Rome. Each is inspired by world events, local politics, and family history and controversy is common to both. They pursue different questions in their work, but neither stops asking: "Why do I keep making sculpture?"
ON CHOOSING TO BECOME AN ARTIST:
Scott: My father was an engineer who wanted me to pursue a career he considered "serious." But when he was dying of cancer (I was just 14), he advised me to follow my heart. And that's what I did.
Jim: I thought I would be a firefighter or something like that, but I loved to draw and I was pretty good at it. My high school art teacher encouraged me to apply to UArts and a scholarship made it possible for me to attend.
A FEW THOUGHTS ON TIME:
Scott: After two difficult surgeries for bone cancer in 1988, I decided I wanted to leave my mark and turned to creating public art. I had a thriving career creating pieces for galleries, but I wanted to leave something of myself behind.
Jim: My work questions what it means to make monuments. I need to engage with the world around me, but I picked the slowest medium for commenting on public events. Lately, I've turned inward. I'm exploring my Italian and Catholic heritage, working with neoclassical styles to address contemporary subjects and issues.
ABOUT PHILOSOPHY AND POETRY:
Scott: I have great memories of UArts, including sharing studio space with
Mark Campbell BFA '74 (Sculpture), dean of the College of Art, Media & Design. My liberal arts education has been as important to me as training in the arts. Courses in philosophy taught me how to think about meaning, and for my work on the City Council, the course I took in Statistics, Probability and Game Theory has proved invaluable.
Jim: Liberal arts courses at UArts had as great an impact on me as the studio professors, particularly classes in philosophy and poetry. I am still inspired by classes with the poet Juan Sebastian Agudelo and with Mikhail Sergeev.
ON WHAT IT MEANS TO MAKE HISTORY:
Scott: Being a public artist was more effective than social media in my campaign for City Council. Everybody in our town was familiar with my work. When you make public art, your authorship is on view 24/7. Today I see new opportunities for public art, particularly public and private partnerships.
Jim: Stories about my sculpture of Edward Snowden (the 9-foot, 200-pound sculpture of the NSA whistleblower) appeared in newspapers across the U.S. and around the world. Sculpture, particularly guerilla or public is living history subject to emotions of the public from its creation onward.
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EVENTS/CALENDAR + 140 NEWS
140TH ANNIVERSARY GALA
INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT DAVID YAGER
uarts.edu/140
GD50: WE ARE HERE
50th anniversary celebration of the University of the Arts' Graphic Design program that will feature exhibitions, a symposium and a party.
September 24, 9 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Gershman and Hamilton Halls
CONNECTING ALUMNI OF THE 1960s
Host committee members
William Krebs BFA '66 (Interior Design),
Elliot Rhodeside BS '66 (Industrial Design) and UArts Trustee
Deanna DeCherney BFA '66 (Interior Design) invite alumni from the 1960s for a daylong event.
September 30, 2 - 9 p.m.
Dorrance Hamilton Hall
MAKING IT
An exhibition of young alumni work from the last 10 years, featuring a special exhibit of work by notable alumni from across the decades including
Zeke Berman BFA '73 (Sculpture).
September 23 - October 28
Reception: October 15
Hamilton Hall
UARTS IN MIAMI
Join UArts alumni and families in Miami as we celebrate Art Basel.
December 2, 2016
National Hotel Miami Beach
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Please send all comments, kudos and criticism to
[email protected].
Visit
schoolstore.uarts.edu and use coupon code
NEWSLETTER for a 10% discount on all UArts merchandise (excluding textbooks).
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